Short Strings in Three-Dimensional Anti-de Sitter Space: from Weak to Strong Coupling

TL;DR

This paper numerically solves the Quantum Spectral Curve for strings in AdS3×S3×T4 across coupling regimes, revealing spectrum organization and universal scaling behaviors at strong and weak coupling.

Contribution

It provides the first numerical solution of the Quantum Spectral Curve for AdS3 backgrounds, connecting weak and strong coupling spectra.

Findings

Spectrum organizes into flat-space string mass levels at strong coupling.

Universal square-root scaling in string tension observed at strong coupling.

Weak coupling energies determined by a Bethe Ansatz with suppressed subleading corrections.

Abstract

We numerically solve the conjectured Quantum Spectral Curve for strings on AdS$_3\times$S$^3\times$T$^4$ with R--R charge from weak to strong coupling. At strong coupling, the spectrum organises into flat-space string mass levels with universal square-root scaling in the string tension at leading order, and additional Kaluza-Klein fine-splitting at subleading order. At weak coupling, the energies are determined by a nearest-neighbour Bethe Ansatz, with universal subleading corrections that are suppressed at large volume.